AU210 - UN Peacekeepers DAR 5 – End of industrial age

[Rhothaerill]

Use this space to comment on your game in the interval between the end of DAR 4 and the end of the industrial age.

[nbarclay]

The industrial era went a bit slower than it usually does for me because of my pacifist ways (and hence relatively small civ size). I got into a war with Japan when they demanded a tech and I wouldn't give it, and then Japan signed an embargo against me with Germany. (Fortunately, Germany didn't have anything I especially needed.) I put a leader from the war on standby to build the Hoover Dam A while later, Germany decided to join in the fun against me. Big mistake. I persuaded Japan to make peace and then bribed them to join me in the war against Germany, thereby breaking the embargo. That left me free to focus on the Germans.

Since I allowed Spain to die, I felt honor bound to capture Madrid from the Germans, and I took Toledo (southeast of Madrid) along the way. In the meantime, the Mongols managed to get in a simultaneous war with several civs, including the Ottomans. When more than a dozen sipahi showed up near Madrid, probably heading for the northernmost Mongol city (far away from the Mongol core), I decided to bribe the Ottomans to send their forces after Germany instead. That started keeping Germany busy.

During the course of the war, I've had Japanese, Roman, and Babylonian troops start tromping through my territory. Each time, I eventually signed a ROP agreement. The Romans joined in the war against Germany, but the Babylonians surprised me by attacking the Ottomans. Not long after, India also declared war on the Ottomans and the Ottomans made peace with Germany.

In the meantime, the Mongols made peace with everyone but the Iroquois. The Iroquois took a Mongol city and started threatening Mongol spice production. Since I was trading for Mongol spices, I regarded that as unacceptable, so I sent in some peacekeeping forces to run interference.

Throughout this time, I've been selling techs for mountains of gold. Some of the gold went to catch some of my newer cities up in improvements, but due to the odd nature of this game, I don't have anywhere near enough outlying cities to use up all my gold. So my current stockpile is a bit over 20,000. (I may be giving India a few hundred gold each turn to help them upgrade forces so they can be a better match for India, but my surplus is currently around 1250 at 100% science.)

I triggered my GA with the Hoover Dam about six techs before the end of the industrial era, and that let me research on a four-turn pace for a while. Now it's over, and I'm seven turns away from Fission. I'm planning to build the U.N. and try for a diplomatic victory. I'm currently four techs ahead of my closest competition, so I don't have to worry at all about being beat to it.

The interplay between my GA and my research rate led to a bit of an oddity in my research path. Normally, I research Motorized Transportation about as quickly as I can. But because I could research it at 80% in my GA, I decided to skip it and focus on Flight and Radio while I had my GA working for me and then pick up Motorized Transportation after my GA was over. So for possibly the first time ever, Motorized Transportation was the last mandatory industrial tech I researched.

One thing's for sure: with Germany at war with Rome, Japan, the Mongols, and America; the Ottomans at war with Babylon, India, and Japan; and the Mongols and Iroquois fighting it out, this world defintiely needs a U.N.!

[Jaybe]

I'm planning to build the U.N. and try for a diplomatic victory

Don't forget to save the game before you try the UN vote!!
(A "cheat" I always use "just in case.")

[Tassadar500]

Jaybe in the AU you aren't allowed to cheat

[nbarclay]

Good thought on saving before the vote, but I think I'm on good enough terms with enough of the AIs that the vote will be safe (at least as long as nothing goes wrong).

By the way, I got a nasty surprise early in the industrial era when I finished researching Steam Power and found that I didn't have any coal in my territory. Fortunately, there was a supply by the Mongols' remote city just north of my territory, and I was able to poach it by building a city right next to the Mongol border and rushing cultural improvements to take the tiles in between the two cities away from the Mongols. Who says you have to fight to take territory?

[Rhothaerill]

Now that's always a fun tactic. I quite like it myself.

Don't tell anyone about the coal yet.

[Cort Haus]

He he, lurved the b'stard coal & rubber placing . I'd have wept twice in this era had it not been for a good Rex!

[Cort Haus]

Industrial Era, 820 AD - 1315 AD

The aim is to try a 'hands-off' approach to Peacekeeping, rather than a heavy-handed interventionism which could destabilise, rather than improve things. So the policy is still not to declare war, and to try and avoid it, and make it quick, short and defensive when it comes. There's no point in punishment beatings if it encourages others to take to the warpath.Then, with maximum allies, create the UN and take the vote.

The first thing I did in the Industrial Era was to gift iron to Spain, and to connect up the spare Saltpeter and gift that to India. Germany hit the era with Nationalism and the Iroqs traded their Steam for it. Funny how the AI never gives me Nationalism for Steam. So I researched Nationalism which I was able to trade for Steam. I also sold Mil Trad for 140gpt to Germany, as the Babs were coming up on it fast. Smiths Trading Company was finished at this time.

The only coal nearby was up by the Spanish silks, where, thanks to that good Rex, I had managed to plant a city.

A few turns later I brought all the remaining civs into Industrial Age and gave them Nationalism, and also gave some gpt to weaker civs. Sold Industrialisation for 260gpt to Germany, and started building some UN observers (explorers). These cheap and useful interventionists can scout, maneuvre, and block, thus influencing events in foreign wars without having to be at war, and they were soon pressed into service as Samauri trundled through my land, apparantly to attack India.

More observers were called for, and I also sent industrial aid in the shape of workers - not as slaves, but under my control so they could quickly railroad and mine their poorly-developed terrain. More Sammies came pouring through my land, and India only had Spearmen. I gifted them 300g, hoping they might upgrade.

[Cort Haus]

'Hands-off' style Peacekeeping

Soon Japanese Cavalry joined the party, but instead of attacking piecemeal they seemed to be mustering, rather than going round my barrier which was extending up the coast towards India's furthest cities on the border with Germany, Spain and Turkey. I added my cavalry to the wall, but it soon becase apparant that I couldn't extend this and protect India indefinitely, but I can force them to attack more distant cities that would damage India less, and might arouse German interest. Giften India another 300g.

[Cort Haus]

Japan's Target

When Babylon and India signed an MPP it looked like the pressure was off. Even if Japan does attack India, it won't be following up whilst at war with Babylon. However, the green units marched past India and headed south - where there is eventually a remote Indian city with rubber. Meanwhile, I discovered Replaceable Parts which I traded for Communism and gpt. Then Japan declared war on the Ottomans!

[Cort Haus]

Wonder Policy

Wonder policy was to rush factories and coal plants in two cities, setting the capital for Suffrage and the other on a Palace. A third factory/coalplant city, on a river, was deployed more slowly for the eventual Hoover Dam. The arrival of Scientific Method saw the Palace switched to Theory of Evolution (5 turns). Fastest rate on Atomic Theory is 6 turns, so adjust the ToE city to finish in 6 turns. The third city took the Military Academy as a Hoov prebuild.

[edit]: When the tech is discovered, choose 'big picture' then go to F1 and change the build.

Also on this turn, the last of the Rifles and Muskets were upgraded : 67 Inf, 28 Cav, 50 workers, 9 explorers. I sold Electricity to Ghandi for 43 gpt and gifted Rep. Parts to Spain and India

Unfortunately, my incoming payments which drive research were about to expire, and in order to get the six turns on Atomic Theory that would allow the expensive Radio from the Hoov, I'd have to sell Sci Meth - which I did to Germany (180gpt) and Babylon (90gpt)

[Cort Haus]

Losing my Religion

Because of the four native luxuries, and the fact that cash-rushing a full cost library is not much more than a full-cost temple, and the policy of importing luxuries, many cities spent much of the game without temples and cathedrals, which is a first time ever for me. It hit me when looking at a decently productive size nine city just how clean, lean and mean the improvements box looks.

[Cort Haus]

Meanwhile...

The Siphi's see off the first wave of Japanese assault, and over the coming turns would gradually repel the invaders back north, before being eventually beaten back again by Japanese Infantry waves which followed. Almost everyone's building the ToE - another first in my experience.

In 1090 Atomic Theory was researched, the Theory of Evolution completed, and Electronics and Radio discoverd. I could have taken the Hoover Dam next go using the Suffrage prebuild, but a later GA would help power later, more expensive techs. Gave India and Spain 500g each, and this was repeated intermittantly.

Then the Iroqious sneak-attacked. Damn the AU Mod for its insistance for more aggressive civs. That's another vote down the tube. I have 39 cav and 72 Inf, and snipped their Saltpeter just inside their border. Universal Suffrage completed, and next turn the Iroqs fling and lose a few knights and archers.

Corporation got heavily traded for gpt and Sanitation, terrain improvements were completed around now, and after bashing a few more Iroq units they took peace. Hiawatha's only annoyed though, not furious. There definitely seems to be more chance of restoring relations if you fight a short, defensive war, and dont take (or worse, raise) their cities.

A defensive line with a killzone was established, which could also be used as a trans-continental gateway, along Iroq and Bab borders.

[Cort Haus]

Golden Age

Next turn came the Hoover Dam, and a GA to nicely cover the five remaining mandatory techs or the era at four turns each, during which production could switch from Infantry to remaining buildings (needed or not) - Stock Exchanges, Police Statoins, Defense Thingy, Cathedrals etc - until Tanks.

[Cort Haus]

I wanted some nice round numbers ...